Cleaning apparatus for machinery



July 14, 1936. "w. B. HODGE 2,047,558

CLEANING APPARATUS FOR MACHINERY Filed July 21, 1933 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 WILL/AM 5. H0065 y 1936. w. B. HODGE 2,047,558

CLEANING APPARATUS FOR MACHINERY Filed July 21, 1933 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 W/LL/AM 15 #0065 grwwwfm' 'Patented July 14, 1936 PATENT OFFlCE CLEANING APPARATUS FOR MACHINERY William-B. Hodge, Charlotte, N. 0., asslgnor to Parks-Crasher C pa I-i corporation of Massachusetts tchburg, Mass. a

Application July 21, 1833, Serial No. 681,515

.lOiaims.

' This invention relates to an'lmproved fan box for distributing air outlet for the'type of travelling cleaner in application Serial Number 538,588, filed May 19, 1931 of which I am a Joint inventor,

and comprises certain changes in form and arrangement from the structure shown in said application, whereby, the downwardly swirling drafts of air delivered onto the machine to be cleaned are adjustable as .to direction.

It is an object of this invention to provide a type of hood or fan box which is particularly adapted to the cleaning and removing of lint and dirt from textile machines and more especially spinning frames.

The complete mechanism is supported in any suitable manner above the machine to be cleaned and comprises a motor with a vertical shaft driving a fan at the top end of the shaft to project downwardly a swirling draft of air and'at the bottom end of the shaft a geared mechanism is provided whereby the motor member travels along the supporting track on a wheeled mechanism, all of which is fully shown and described in said pending application above referred to. It has been found in practical application of the mechanism in the said above referred to application that the shelves or tables supporting the roving bobbins, commonly designated on spinning frames as creel boards, vary greatly in width. lit is important that the draft or air produced by the fan be directed with considerable nicety so as to strike the several parts of the creel boards, and other portions of the spinning frames requiring cleaning, in specific places. On this ac- 85 count, variation in the widths of creel boards require variation in distributing hood construction. That is, the outlets for directing the air are more eflicient if made at a specific angle for each machine, depending upon the width of its creel board. Therefore, by providing adjustable means for guiding the downwardly swirling blasts of air produced by the fan within the box, it is possible to provide a mechanism which can be easily adiusted for various widths of creel boards without the necessity of specifically manufacturing a particular box to surround the fan for each particular machine.

To simplify the construction of such outlet boxes, I have devised an adjustable sleeve or cufi', attached at the lower end of the diffuser outlet and preferably made in two sections, whereby the downwardly swirling drafts of air can be directed either inwardly or outwardly, as may be found desirable, by the simple adjustment of a set screw. It is, of course, evident that there could'be one adjustable sleeve on each side of the track instead of a plurality asshown.

Some of the objects of the invention havin been stated, the details of the mechanism will more fully appear in the detailed description 5 hereinafter following when taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is an end view of my cleaning mechanism applied to a spinning frame and showing the end of the spinning frame in elevation with a 10 portion broken away;

Figure 2 is a transverse vertical sectional view taken through the fan box in Figure 1 and showing the adjustable sleeve; I

Figure 3 is a side elevation of the fan box 15 showing the fan box in section and the outlet in elevation with a portion of the outlet broken away;

Figure 4 is an isometric view of a portion of the-outlet which is usually made integral with 20 the fan box; Figure 5 is an isometric view of one of the sleeves adjustably mounted on the outlets. I

Referring more particularly to the drawings, i represents the end of a spinning frame, 2 the 25 creel board support.) and I the creel boards, 5 a roll stand, 6 the spinning bobbins, I the rovin bobbins, 8 the support for the track carrying the traveling cleaner as fully described in said application, 8 the gear box, also fully described in said application, l0 the-electric motor, i I the box surrounding the fan having a pair of openings, [2 and II in the bottom thereof which are covered by the discharge outlets I4 and ii. A fan I5 is secured to the upper end of the shaft of the motor for drawing air into the opening il in the top of the box II, and directing it downwardly through the openings l2 and If.

The outlets i4 and I! have a vertically dis-- posed slot I8 therein and on the lower edge of the sidewall of the outlets next to the motor, hinges i9, 20, 2i, and 22 are provided which hingedly connect the sleeves 23, 24, 25, and 28 to the outlets I4 and IS. The outer sidewalls of sleeves 23 to 28 inclusive are adapted to telescopically fit over the outer sidewalls of the outlets I l and i5 and each of these sleeves has a slot 21 therein penetrated by a bolt 2| rigidly secured in the sidewall of the outlet and having any suitable means for adjusting the same suchas wing nut 29. It is readily apparent that the angularity of the sleeves 23 to 28 inclusive may be adjusted to suit particular conditions on any particular machine. In Figure 1 it is seen that some of the outlets can be adjusted to direct the 55 swirling blasts of air downwardly onto the creel boardslandlandtherovingbobbinsland the rovings passing therefrom, whereas other sleeves may be adjusted to direct the swirling blasts of air downwardly onto the roll stands, drawing rolls, thread board, spinning bobbins, spinning rails, ring rails'and other parts of the machine. 1

The gear housing I is supported by wheels 3| and Ii on tracks 32 and II which is fully explained in said application Serial Number 538,588.

Thedraftofairprqducedbythetypeof fan used is swirling in its effect, and there is a decided tendency for the downwardly discharging air to sweep across the creel board, producing an air draft at an acute angle to the direction of the track.

Let us suppose that the mechanism as seen in Figures 1 and 2 is traveling towards the observer. It is there seen that the front sleeve 23 is directed inwardly and the other front sleeve 28 is directed outwardly or to the right in Figures 1 and 2, and the rear sleeve 24 is directed outwardly and other rear sleeve 25 is directed inwardly or to the left in Figures 1 and 2, all of the above directions being with respect to the motor housing. With this arrangement sleeve 26 directs a stream of swirling air downwardly and outwardly on the outer and lower portion of the machine, striking the portions-of the machine at an acute angle and sweeping the lint particles therefrom. This forward directing of the stream of air issuing from sleeve 26 is obtained by means of the direction of rotation of the fan, whose nearest blades in Figure 3 are moving to the right and the sleeves being relatively short, do not destroy the swirling effect produced by the disk fan and therefore the blasts of air have an axis which is inclined forwardly or to the right in Figure 3.

At the same time, and for the above described reasons, the sleeve 25, which is directed inwardly, causes a downwardly and rearwardly moving swirling stream of air to be directed inwardly to strike the creel boards at an acute angle and sweep the lint therefrom.

Also the sleeve 23 directs a downwardly swirling and forwardly directed stream of air onto and across the creel boards, while the outwardly directed sleeve 24 directs a rearwardly and downwardly and outwardly directed swirling stream of air onto the lower and outer portions of the machine.

By having the front pairs of sleeves directed laterally of the machine in the same direction, they do not interfere with each other, and the same is true with respect to the rear sleeves. When the direction of travel of the mechanism is reversed, the forward sleeves, of course, become the rearward sleeves, but the functions performed are the same as above described.

If it is desired to vary the amount of and volume of air which is directed downwardly through the sleeves, this may be done by the provision of a vane 35, having a small rod 36 secured to the lower edge thereof and having this rod rotatably mounted in the sidewalls of the outlets i4 and l 5, these vanes being adjustable by means of a threaded bolt 31 being secured to the vanes and penetrating an arcnate slot 39 in the outer sidewall of the housings and having a wing nut 31 thereon, so the vanes can be adjusted to defiect more of the swirling air through one of the openings than the other.

In the drawings and specification there has been set forth a preferred embodiment of the invention and although specific terms are employed, they are used in a generic and descriptive sense only, and not for purposes of limitation, the scope of the invention being set forth in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. Means for removing lint and other foreign particles from machinery comprising a driven fan for producing blasts of air, a housing surrounding said fan and having an upper open end and having a bottom provided with two transversely spaced openings, a downwardly extending fixed outlet member surrounding each of said openings and secured to said bottom, a pair of movable outlet members adiustably secured to each fixed outlet member, means for adjusting the angularity of each movable outlet member with relation to the fixed outlet member, and a movable vane in each fixed outlet member for proportioning the volumes of air passing through the movable outlet members, the said openings or apertures being far enough from each other to permit the air blasts issuing therethrough to strike different portions of the machinery.

2. Means for removing lint and other particles from machinery comprising a driven fan having a vertical axis and having a housing surrounding said fan and having an upper open end, and also having a bottom provided with two transversely spaced openings, a. fixed outlet member surrounding each of said openings and secured to said bot tom, a pair of adjustable outlet members pivotally secured to each fixed outlet member, means for adjusting the angularity of each adjustable outlet member with relation to the fixed outlet member, a vane disposed within each fixed outlet member and means for adjusting the position of the vane to proportion the volumes of air passing through said adjustable outlet members, the said openings being far enough from each other to permit the air blasts issuing therethrough to strike different portions of the machinery.

3. Apparatus for cleaning machines compris- I of the vane to proportion the volumes of air passing through said adjustable outlet members, the said openings being far enough from each other to permit the air blasts issuing therethrough to strike different portions of the machinery.

4. In combination, a driven disk fan, a housing surrounding said fan and having a pair of transversely disposed spaced openings in the same for receiving the blasts from the discharge side of the fan, a duct surrounding each opening, a pair of spouts adjustably secured to the lower end of each duct for separating the blasts of air issuing from said fan through each of the ducts and directing said divided blasts, a vane disposed within each fixed outlet member and means for adjusting the position of the vane to proportion the volumes of air passing through said adjustable outlet members, the said openings being far enough from each other to permit the air blasts issuing therethrough to strike different portions of the machinery.

5. Means for removing lint from machinery tion and the otherone of the other pair of spouts comprising a traveler mounted for travel longitudinally above the machinery and having a driven disk fan mounted on a vertical axis. a housing surrounding said Ian and having an open upper end and having a bottom provided with a pair of transversely spaced apertures through which the blasts created by the in are expelled downwardly, an outlet surrounding each 01' said apertures, an adjustable vane mounted in each of said outlets for dividing the air blasts discharged therefrom, a pair of spouts adjustably secured to the lower end of each oi said outlets for directing the air blasts onto the machinery,

and means for adjusting the spouts so that the blasts of air can be directed onto the desired portions of the machinery over which the fan travels, the said apertures being far enough from each other to permit the air blasts issuing therethrough to strike different portions of the machinery.

6. Apparatus for removing lint and other particles from textile machinery comprising a trackway disposed longitudinally above the machinery, a traveler mounted for travel on said trackway and having a driven disk fan mounted on a vertical axis on said traveler, a housing surrounding said fan and having a bottom portion, a pair 01! spouts secured to said bottom on each side of the trackway and having their upper ends communicating with the interior of said housing, one of each pair of spouts being inclined from the vertical transversely oi the machine in one direcbeing inclined from the vertical-transversely of the machine in the other direction, whereby the front spouts will direct a pair of blasts across the machine to sweep the parts thereof in one 5 direction while the other spouts will direct another pair of blasts across the parts 01' the machine in the other direction to subject the machine to oppositely directed blasts as the traveler travels along the machine. I

7. Apparatus for removing lint and other particles from textile machinery comprising a trackway disposed longitudinally above the machinery, a traveller mounted for travel on said trackway and having a driven disk i'an mounted on a vertical axis on said traveller, a housing surrounding said fan and having a bottom portion, front and rear spouts secured to said bottom on each side of the trackway and having their upper ends communicating with the interior of said housing, both of the front spouts being inclined from the vertical transversely of the machine in one direction and the rear spouts being inclined from the vertical transversely of the machine in the other direction, whereby the front spouts will direct a pair of blasts across the machine to sweep the parts thereof in one direction while the other spouts will direct another pair of blasts across the partsoi the machine in the other direction to subject the machine to oppositely directed blasts as the traveller travels along the machine.

WILLIAM-B. HODGE. 

